There are several floating around out there that look very similar. That one on the Phantom above. . .I've seen shots of the same configuration but about AIM-120 diameter on an F-16. I've seen various acronyms associated with them.

sferrin wrote:That bottom one is relatively old. HSAD. Here's another view of that Raytheon configuration:

I thought so to, but there are several differences between the missiles.

In your example the missile is ejector launched, its VFDR duct inlet is angled down, and its nose is pointed where in my example it is a rail launched missile, its VFDR inlets that are perpendicular to the direction of travel, and it's nose is more rounded.

hornetfinn wrote:F-35 and AARGM combo sounds like a real killer. Thinking about it from AD radar operator PoV it sounds like nightmare. Having almost invisible ARM shooter with capabilities to counter short emission duration and shut-down tactics is very difficult one to counter and psychologically really tough to handle. With older SEAD aircraft the operators had pretty good idea what was in the air (even with EW) and when they were under attack. There were tactics to counter ARM attacks because of it. With F-35 and AARGM the uncertainty grows a lot and makes it very dangerous to emit radar signals. It might well be that radar blowing up is the first signal of being under attack. AARGM looks like it might have very low RCS itself and is likely quite a bit faster and longer ranged than HARM.

hornetfinn wrote:F-35 and AARGM combo sounds like a real killer. Thinking about it from AD radar operator PoV it sounds like nightmare. Having almost invisible ARM shooter with capabilities to counter short emission duration and shut-down tactics is very difficult one to counter and psychologically really tough to handle. With older SEAD aircraft the operators had pretty good idea what was in the air (even with EW) and when they were under attack. There were tactics to counter ARM attacks because of it. With F-35 and AARGM the uncertainty grows a lot and makes it very dangerous to emit radar signals. It might well be that radar blowing up is the first signal of being under attack. AARGM looks like it might have very low RCS itself and is likely quite a bit faster and longer ranged than HARM.

IADS commander's dilemma : "Use 'em or lose them".

....would one really waste an AARGM on a radar or the command and control center. Shirley it can distinguish the difference!

hornetfinn wrote:F-35 and AARGM combo sounds like a real killer. Thinking about it from AD radar operator PoV it sounds like nightmare. Having almost invisible ARM shooter with capabilities to counter short emission duration and shut-down tactics is very difficult one to counter and psychologically really tough to handle. With older SEAD aircraft the operators had pretty good idea what was in the air (even with EW) and when they were under attack. There were tactics to counter ARM attacks because of it. With F-35 and AARGM the uncertainty grows a lot and makes it very dangerous to emit radar signals. It might well be that radar blowing up is the first signal of being under attack. AARGM looks like it might have very low RCS itself and is likely quite a bit faster and longer ranged than HARM.

IADS commander's dilemma : "Use 'em or lose them".

....would one really waste an AARGM on a radar or the command and control center. Shirley it can distinguish the difference!

ATK has been awarded a contract to begin development of the New Air Defense Blasting Missile (NADBM) or AARGM-ER as it's officially known. In a smart move to speed things up, it's being justified as an update and modification of the existing AGM-88E.http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/17 ... nside-f-35

popcorn wrote:........would one really waste an AARGM on a radar or the command and control center. Shirley it can distinguish the difference!

Why not both? Equally worthy IMO.[/quote]

....people; 1- time and money spent on C2 training and experience in your "former" frontline missile bait unit; replacing them with available "new" frontline missile bait people2- new missile bait people "say" they accept (not!) their new C2 assignments from the "loss" of the previous missile bait people in the same site as new missile bait!3- sitting in a truck waiting to develop tracks that show the timing of your own demise as C2 missile bait4- having 300 sets of hardware in the warehouse with anxious C2 people to become missile bait, become a bit less effective